Straw Dogs (2011)

Straw Dogs (2011) This was the only film by director Rod Lurie that I wanted to see. His other films are pretty much about political scandal, it seems to me. But he knows how to put together a good team.

Because…

What a cast! James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård, Dominic Purcell and James Woods in the same film? That was already a good start. But the film isn’t incredible and isn’t a film I’d recommend.

James Marsden is excellent here, as he was in The Box (2009), Robot & Frank (2012) and X-Men (2000). I’ve never been a big fan of Kate Bosworth. However, The Immaculate Room (2022) is not without interest and also has a very good ending. She’s also in one of my favourite horror films, Before I Wake (2016). And I really liked The Domestics (2018). On the other hand, My Movie Project (2012), which also has an incredible cast, is really a completely rubbish film. I haven’t yet seen Still Alice (2014), Bus 657 (2015) or The Rules of Attraction (2002). Her Last Sentinel (2023) and Black Rock (2012) would be films that would really interest me, and she stars in the former. I’ll probably change my mind about her.

Alexander Skarsgård is not, in my eyes, an actor whose filmography is very attractive. It’s hard to believe that this man played Tarzan (2016), which is a good film, as is The East (2013).

Dominic Purcell is excellent in series such as DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Prison Break. Surprisingly, Wentworth Miller also has a role in these two series. Wentworth was with James Marsden in The Loft (2014), an excellent film. Dominic was a pleasure to watch in Blade 3 – Trinity (2004) and Escapee (2011). He is also with Kate Bosworth in Confidential Informant (2023).

And finally, James Woods, an actor with nothing to prove. We know that he can be as likeable as he is utterly detestable. He was in Casino (1995) and Virgin Suicides (1999), He was prodigious in the rather bad Videodrome (1983) and is one of the film’s main attractions. The other attraction is that he stars alongside Deborah (Debbie) Harry and is directed by David Cronenberg! He was also directed by John Carpenter in a vampire film: Vampires (1998)!

Gordon Williams wrote the story for this film, entitled: The Siege of Trencher’s Farm – Straw Dogs. Here’s what I found: ‘Williams’s spare, almost Spartan prose is peppered with a handful of truly brilliant turns of phrase and a keen sense of narrative rhythm that keeps you turning page after page. Far from a classic potboiler! THE SEAT OF TRENCHER FARM is a classic of the genre and a perfect example of how you can take a simple, violent encounter and stretch it over a hundred pages without ever feeling like you’re going round in circles.

– Ain’t It Cool ‘Williams’s carefully measured and gripping plot! and finely tuned attention to the undercurrents of this story! keep things captivating.’

– The Playlist ‘An excellent example of modern storytelling infusing noir and other genres into an original fiction concoction! Trencher’s Farm HQ wastes no time in delivering a wise and thoughtful message. Gordon Williams is the author of over 20 novels, including From Scenes Like These, nominated for the Booker Prize in 1969. His most famous work, The Siege of Trencher’s Farm, was adapted into Sam Peckinpath’s controversial film Straw Dogs in 1971. The original novel on which Sam Peckinpah’s controversial film Straw Dogs was based, and which inspired this film by Rod Lurie.

American professor George Magruder, his wife Louise and their daughter rent an isolated old house known as Trencher’s Farm in Cornwall so that George can finish writing his book. When George accidentally runs over a child killer on the loose in a mental asylum, he confronts the brutal inhabitants and sets in motion a series of violent events that threaten his survival and that of his family…

As you can see, it’s not exactly the same story in the book as in the film. In any case, in this short summary, all the drama of the first part is omitted. Straw Dogs is a disturbing revenge film, with unrealistic sides, ridiculous moments and reactions that are not always understandable. There are plenty of detestable characters, things left unsaid and things left unresolved because of a lack of courage or communication. There are questions left unanswered, and there’s a slapdash feel, as if the film had to be finished before a certain deadline. The first hour is passable, but from the most raw and violent moment onwards, the film loses its flavour. It becomes boring before descending into intense savagery. Too many logical holes and very little emotion from our dear Bosworth. An intense moment that I couldn’t describe as entertaining, but as much as I’m glad I saw it once, as it was on my list of films to see, I won’t be seeing it again and I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone.

I don’t know what the 1971 original is worth, but it was Sam Peckinpah’s most controversial film. Dustin Hoffman and Susan George were the main couple. I suppose this remake will seem lukewarm, if not denigrating, to all the fans of the original.